I glanced up, catching him staring down at me with wide eyes. His pupils were dilated, only a small band of blue was left.
I nodded. “I think I deserve a nickname for you.”
His eyes returned to normal and held a light in them that was a relief compared to the sadness that once clouded them. He didn’t try to hide his smile. “Very well, what do you wish to name me?”
“You said you called your daughter A’lainn and that I reminded you of her.” He nodded. “What is the term for a father in your native language?”
“Athair,” he said. His lips stretched into another smile, fading as quickly as it appeared. “You never called Tarn father.”
“No, I didn’t. That’s because he forbid it, and to be honest, he was a sorry excuse for a father.”
“Well, I’d be honored if you were to call me Athair.” He smiled again.
“Then it’s settled. Athair it is!”
Marren walked in with a rush. His eyes wide with worry, which increased when he saw me on my knees on the balcony floor. He ran up to me. “Are you alright, Relena?”
“I’m fine, just another cramp.”
His arms wrapped underneath mine and lifted me to my feet. He placed several quick kisses all over my face. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I’ll try not to leave your side for long until the change happens.”
“Do you think it’s going to happen so soon?” I asked, a little anxious.
“The moon will be at its fullest tonight. It’s quite possible with what you’ve been experiencing, you will change.”
My heart flipped fitfully with the idea. I tried to hide it from Marren, but it was too late. He tightened his arms around me.
I said, “Better to get it done and over with, right?”
He let out a nervous chuckle. “Right. First, we need to prepare you so you can be presented to the Ancients.”
“What will it be like?” Returning to this subject filled me with renewed apprehension. “Won’t they just kill me if they want me dead?”
“They’ll go through me first.” He spoke with a seriousness that was both a challenge and a threat.
“What happens if you die? What then?”
“You’ll soon follow.”
I narrowed my eyes at him more confused than before. “What is to stop them from just killing you and going straight for me? I don’t understand.”
“They don’t contain the courage to kill me, and because you and I share a heart song—which is exceptionally rare in my world—whenever you die, I will follow. My spirit has found you and thusly, can’t live without you.”
“You’ve survived hundreds of years without me just fine,” I said.
“Until I found you. As soon as you were born, I was overcome with a desire to find you. Once I did, it was only a matter of waiting it out.” He released me and turned to Enid. “How much did you tell her?”
“I didn’t go over the presentation to the Ancients yet.”
Marren nodded. “You will face each of the Ancients. They’ll search for anything to disprove you. They’ll do this by peering into your soul and your mind, searching for anything accusing you of casting enchantments on me, or I on you. They’ll also glimpse into your past and your future.”
“Each one is going to intrude into my mind?” I asked.
“You must let them,” Marren said. “Not everyone will do the same thing. Only Joe’n has the ability to read minds. She’s the Ancient of the elves, but she also governs the races of fae, sprites, and gnomes. Jiren is a Denai. He’ll be trying to find fault in your energy. Ildir, who is not here, is the Ancient of dwarves. The only skill he has is wielding an axe and manipulating stone and metal. Blyl is a serpentine who governs the drakes as well as other serpentines. He’ll be the one poking into your past and future. Lastly, Gurth, governs the goblins. He’s also not here.”
“Aren’t the Denai blood drinking vampires?”
He chuckled. “No. Only some Denai turn into vampires. Jiren transcended into energy, allowing him to take any form he wishes, though he has to consume the energy of what he intends to become.”
I nodded. “Are there any more Ancients I need to be aware of?”
“There’s me. All therianthropes and the races who chose to follow me, like the centaurs and tree spirits. You don’t need to worry about me though. I’ve already found what I was looking for.” He pulled me back into his arms and held me.
“We better get started. We only possess but a handful of hours before sundown,” Enid said, the warning within his words were clear.
I tried to pull away, but Marren wouldn’t allow it.
“Marry me,” he whispered into my ear.
“I told you last night I already had.”
“Not in my terms.”
“Don’t you think we should wait and discuss this after I get presented to the Ancients and after I’ve made the first change? You never know, the whole process could kill me.”
“The change won’t kill you. It’ll only seem like it. You won’t die while being presented to the Ancients either. I promise you’ll survive.”
I smiled and tried to gaze past my own reflection in his eyes.